“Thanks for the terrific class! I had my mandolin lurking in the corner for 9 months before I took this class. I played with it now and then but felt out of my depth, having only played piano in the past. A few weeks into your class, I couldn’t put down my mandolin, practicing far more than my kids want me to. In addition to the wonderful tunes we learned in class, I started to pick out other melodies like Christmas carols, simple gifts, harry potter, star wars; anything I hear I want to find it on the mandolin.”—Randy R.
“Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you.”—-Eric B.
Register for the Everything Jamming course with Matt Flinner
See the Mandolin Tune Studies Curriculum (June 13-July 16)
See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming Curriculum (June 14-July 16)
This course is intended to help students expand their musical horizons with familiar songs that seem to work their way into jam sessions now and then (and you walk away thinking “I wish I had learned that one”). Various styles of lead playing and rhythm playing will be explored, including folk, rock and a bit of swing and blues. Students will be given the melodies and chords to four songs each week, along with suggestions for creating their own solos, practical guides to playing the chords and rhythmic exercises to help students feel comfortable with the various grooves and rhythmic feels. Students will be encouraged to learn the chords to all four songs and to especially focus on one song for the melody and soloing suggestions (whichever song best suits their ability level, or whichever song they like best!). Songs by Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, the Beatles, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones and many more will be explored. It’s a great way to learn more about the fretboard while getting some practical guides to lead and accompaniment—and most of all, to have fun playing music! The course is intended for players of all ability levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to expand their musical possibilities.
Class sessions meet on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions meet on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions (via Zoom), but all sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website so that students can review them any time if they are unable to attend the sessions.
The course fee is $125.
Register for the Everything Jamming course with Matt Flinner
EVERYTHING JAMMING CURRICULUM
WEEK 1 (June 15)
Folk rhythms
Playing basic rhythm in four keys
Mixing rhythm into your lead playing
A few blues ideas
Buckets of Rain
Ripple
Souvenirs
Homegrown Tomatoes
WEEK 2 (June 22)
Rock rhythms
Closed position chords
Adding some double stops
Atlantic City
Free Fallin’
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Out on the Weekend
WEEK 3 (July 7)
More complex chord progressions
Some swing-style rhythms
More double stops
Mr. Blue Sky
Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone
When I’m 64
All My Loving
WEEK 4 (July 13)
Mixing in various chord and rhythm styles
Some more rock & blues rhythms
Tangled Up in Blue
Tear Stained Letter
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Hot Rod Lincoln